Combined baling and compress machine.



. l R'. D. CROW. COMBINED BALING AND GOMPRESS MACHINE. xPPVLIcATIoNFILED MAY 9,1909.

Patented June 8, 1909.

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R. D. GROW. COMBINEDl BALING AND UOMPRESS MACHINE.

APPLICATION :FILED MAY 9. 1908. 924,223

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Patened June 8, 1909.

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'ROBERT n. onow,

OF HENDERSON, TEXAS.'

COMBINED BALING AND COMlB'ESS MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT D. CROW, a citizen of the United States,residing at Henderson, in the county of Rusk and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Baling andCompress Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to baling presses and more especially to presses ofthat type wherein cotton is both baled and compressed at the ginnery,and my primary object is to produce an eliicient and reliable press ofthe type outlined, which will bale cotton to adensity acceptable to theland and water transportation companies and the spinners, in suflicientquantity to justify the installation of the press by any ginneryhandling as low as five hundred bales per annum.

lith this general object in view, the invention consists in certainnovel and peculiar features of construction and organization ashereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fullyunderstood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:-

Figure 1, is a vertical section of a baling press embodying theinvention, taken on the line I-I of Fig. 2. Fig'. 2, is a horizontalsection taken on the line Il-H of Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a vertical sectiontaken on the line Ill-lll of Fig. 2. Fig. 4, is a top plan of thecompress side of the press. Fig. 5, is a top plan of the power-head ofthe compressmechanism. Fig. 6, is a vertical cross-seo tion of one ofthe plungers which act as abutments in the baling operation and asplungers in the compress action. Fig. 7, is an enlarged horizontalsection o-n line Vfl of Fig. 3, of one of the elements which alternatelyact as baling and compress cases. Fig. 8, is a vertical transversesection on line VIH- VIH Fig. l of one of the cases and the tramper toforce the loose cotton therein, to form a bale.

In the said drawings where like reference characters refer tocorresponding parts, 1 indicates a foundation or able character andsecured to the same and projecting vertically upward therefrom is astationary shaft 2 and a standard 3, the former forming the journal forturn-table 4 base of any suit-' Specification of Letters Patent.Application filed. May 9, 1908.

Patented June s, 1909.

Serial No.' 431,'760.

occupying an opening in the licor or forni 5. j

6 indicates a bar` secured rigidly to and connecting the upper ends ofshaft 2 and standard 3, and 7 is a bar secured upon the upper' end ofthe shaft above cross-bar 6 and adapted to be permanently anchored atits other end in. any suitable manner. Said bar 7 forms a support forthe-steam cylinder 8 having an ordinary piston 9 provided with a stem 10projecting up through the upper end or head of the cylinder and securedplatrigidly to a cross-head 11 provided with depending rods 12, guidedby preference, by bar 7, to reciprocate vertically and equipped at theirlower ends with a tramper 13, from one side marginof which a cut-off 14projects upwardly, for a purpose which hereinafter appears. The objectof projecting the piston stem upwardly through the upper end or head ofthe steam cylinder instead of arranging it with said stem extendingdownward through the lower end of said cylinder is twofold, first toprovide a convenient means of raising and lowering the tongs hereinafterreferred to, and second, to eliminate any possibility of steam enteringthe underlying vbaling case, which would occur if the stem projectedthrough the lower end of theV cylinder, as will be readily under stood.

Below the turn-table shaft 2 is equipped with an enlargement of collar15 as a support for a bracket 16, journaled on said shaft and secured atits opposite ends to a pair of rectangular baling cases 17, said casesprojecting up through the turn-table so that the latter may coperatewith bearing bracket 16 in holding the cases in rigid relation to eachother, it being noticed in this connection and by reference to Figs. 1to 3 inclusive, that one of said cases is vertically below the tramperand the other below bar 6 and that they are disposed with their inner oradjacent sidewalls and their inner orvadjacent end-walls in parallelvertical planes but at opposite sides of shaft 2, and that the verticalplanes of the side-walls of the cases intersect the vertical plane ofshaft 2 and standard 3, as shown most clearly by Figs. 2 and 4.

The upper ends of cases 17 are tapered as shown at 18 for a purposewhich hereinafter appears, and superposed with respect to said cases arecase-extensions, each consisting of an inner end-wall 19 and outerside-wall 20 rigidly secured together and an outer endwall 21 and innerside-wall 22 hinged tog'ether at 23, the outer end-wall having' notches25 in its free edge to accommodate the outwardly projecting eye-bolts241 projecting' from the outer ends of side-walls 20.

26 are slide-bolts mounted in keepers 27 secured to end-walls 2l, andsuitably connected at their inner ends to a lever 28 pivoted Ias at 29to wall 21, said lever, when end-wall 21 is closed against side-wall 20,being' operated to cause bolts 26 to engage eye-bolts 2-1 and thus lockthe walls 19, 20, 21 and 22 in rig'id relation, the withdrawal of saidbolts 26 from the eye-bolts 2-1 permitting' end-wall 21 to swing outwardin line with side-wall 22, 4it, being noticed in this connection byreference to Figs. 1, 3 and 8, that the lower ends of the walls of eachcase-extension are beveled outwardly and downwardly Yas at 30, to causesaid walls when locked rigidly together overlap the tapered upper end 18of its respective ease 17, this overlap relation guarding against anyindependent movement between a case and its extension and insuringperfect alinement thereof.

Two sets of brackets are journaled on shaft 2, each set consisting' oftwo brackets 31 secured respectively to walls 19 and 22, the bracketssecured to wall 19 serving as hinges for said wall and wall 20 rigidtherewith, and the brackets secured to wall 22, as hinges for said walland wall 21, the hinges 23 hereinbefore described, being' provided onlyto enable the operator to swing wall 21 in alinement with wall 22 for apurpose which hereinafter appears. The hingebrackets 31 are supportedupon enlargements or collars 32 of shaft 2, the brackets of onecase-extension resting upon said collar and the brackets of the othercase-extension upon the rst-named brackets, as shown clearly in F ig. 1.

The side-walls of each case-extension are provided with series of slots33 occupied by retainers 31- projecting' into the interior of theextensions and provided with laterally projecting' wing's to engage theouter faces of the contiguous side-walls and thus limit the distancewhich the retainers may swing' into the extension. The retainers aresecured to cranks of a rock-shaft 3G journaled in brackets 37 secured tothe outer faces of the side-walls of the extensions, and one end of eachcrank-shaft is equipped with a crank-handle 38 by which the retainersmay be withdrawn from slots to an inoperative position.

Each case 17 is equipped with cleats or stops 39 project-ing' inwardlyfrom the lower as described, to

ends of its side-walls, and occupying and adapted to reciprocate withinsaid ease and its extension as hereinafter explained, is a plunger "i0which, when in its normal position, rests upon said cleats or stops. asshown clearly in Fig. 3. Each plung'er is reduced in width so that itmay depend from the case through the space between the cleatsy or stopsand at the upper end of the depending portion it is formed with groovesil, and projecting into said grooves for aV purpose hereinafterexplained. are pivoted clamps or turn-buttons 12. VCach plunger l0 isalso provided in its under side with a groove 13 extending parallel toits sides and with recesses ll, in which are journaled flanged-spools ordrums i5 of the springroller type and therefore not detailed, andattached at their lower ends to said spools or drums are curtains leequipped externally with transverse stilfening strips and, with thelatter occupying rabbets -fl-8 in thel inner faces of the end walls ofthe case, the upper ends of the curtains being pivoted or secured in anyother suitable manner to said walls at the upper ends of said rabbets inorder that the curtains may form closures for the vertical slots L19 inthe end walls of the case above plungers 40, except, of course, whensaid plungers as hereinafter appears. lCach plunger 4() is also providedwith a series of transverse grooves 50, terminating at their ends inflared mouths or enlargements 51, said grooves dividing the upper sideof the plunger into a plurality of upwardly-disposed projections havingtheir faces concaved both longitudinally and latitudinally as at 53, forthe purpose which hereinafter appears.

For the purpose of imparting upward movenient to the plunger whichoccupies the case vertically below cross bar 3. I provide the followingmechanism: 5l. is a powerhead provided with an upwardly projecting rib55 to enter groove 43 of the overlying plunger 40 this .arrangementcentering and acting to guard against movement in any but a verticaldirection of the power-head, during the power and withdrawal movementsof the saine as hereinafter referred to. The power-head is also providedwith openings 56 to receive and accommodate the spools or drums -ilofsaid plunger. Said head is also provided centrally with a depending rib57, having' a central verticallyslotted lug 58. 59 is a. similar ribrigid with and projecting' upward from hase or foundation 1 and providedwith a. similar vertically slotted lug (SO. (51 indicates a horizontalworin-shaft having right and lefthand threads at its opposite ends, ande11- gaging the threaded portions of said shaft are collars G2 pivotallyconnected by toggle,- levers G3 and (ist, to ribs 57 and 59 respecaredisposed above said slots,

tively, Vthe toggle-levers 63 being pivotally l engaged by braces 65having pin-and-slot engagements with slotted lug 60. rllhe toggle-levers64 are pivotally engaged by braces 66 having pin-and-slot engagementswith slotted lug 58.

To impart rotary movement in one direction or the other to theworm-shaft and thus eect the expansion or contraction o the togglemechanism thereof and incidentallyl upward or downward movement of thepower-head, a sprocket-wheel 67 is secured upon the worm-shaft and isadapted to be driven by a chain, not shown, which will automaticallyadapt itself in a manner well known in the art, to the upward anddownward movement of the sprocket-wheel and the worm-shaft, it beingunderstood in this connection, that the slots 49 in the end walls ofcase 17 are necessary in order to permit shaft 61 to travel upward asufficient distance to impose the full power of the togglelevers on thebales to compress the same to the desired densitv.

68 indicates an upper platen, arranged vertically over the extension ofthe case 17 which at the time is overlying the powermechanism, havingits lower face corresponding in all respects to the upper face of theunderlying plunger 40, said platen 68 being suspended from cross-bar 6by two or more vertically-slotted hangers 69, which can be adjusted byclamp-nuts 7 0 to limit and determine the downward or gravitativemovement of the platen 68.

71 indicates a pair of pistons secured to and projecting verticallyupwardfrom platen 68 into chambers 72 with a liquidtight relation, and 73 is a pipeway provide with a check valve 7 4 connected to an overheadtank 75, the check valve being of the usual type and adapted to permitliquid from the tank to flow downward into said chambers.

7 6 is a pipe connected to pipel 73 below the check valve andterminating in a gooseneck or spout 77 to discharge into the tank, andequipped with a controlling valve 78.

When the chambers 72 are charged with liquid and valve 7 8 is closed,the platen 68 cannot move upward under the pressure transmitted by abale from the lunderlying plunger and power mechanism.

If it is desired to increase the thickness of the bale without avariation in density, the platen can be adjusted upward to the desiredpoint and so secured by the proper manipulation of thel clamping nuts, asimilar adjustment being made if it is desired to increase the thicknessof the baleand diminish its density, it being understood that in eitherevent the valve 7S will be opened if the power mechanism becomes stalledbefore the toggle-levers 63 and 64 attain the position hereinafterexplained as necessary if they are to exert their maximum pressure onthe bale.

Preliminary to the operation of baling and compressing cotton or othermaterial, the usual covering-fabrics, not shown, for the bales, areplaced on the plungers 40, each fabric being draped down over the sidesand ends of its plunger, and to retain it thus draped it is pressed intothe grooves 41 and secured therein by the pivoted clamps or turn-buttons42. A similar covering, not shown, for the top of the bale whencompressed is also arranged at the under side of platen 68 and is foldedup around the sides j and ends thereof and upon its upper side andtacked or otherwise secured on said upper side, by preference.

In practice, the cotton or other material is fed through the usual chuteindicated by dotted lines in iigs. 1 and 3, because formingno part ofthis invention, into the upper erfd of the extension of the casevertically The latter is then cause below the tramper. todescend andforce the cotton downward in such case against the plunger 40 thereof,the wall 14 of the tramper cutting off the supply of cotton to such caseas the tramper enters the extension thereof, the retainers yielding topermit the cotton to be forced downward and preventing it from bulgingupward may terially as the tramper withdraws, the action of the tramperbeing controlled by any suitable means, not shown, controlling theadmission of steam to and from the cylinder. Then the case has beencharged, the turntable is caused to make a half-revolution by anysuitable means, not shown, because common in the art, in order todispose the charged case vertically below the platen 68 and above thepower head, and the empty case vertically below the tramper. As soon asthe cases are thus disposed, the empty one receives a new charge ofcotton and the tramper is caused to repeat the operations described. Atthe same time the worm-shaft 61 is caused y to revolve to start theexpansion of the toggle mechanism, the initial result of this actionbeing to cause the power-head to engage l the overlying plunger 40, therib 55 of the Vpower-head engaging the groove 43 of the plunger and thenotches 56 of the power-head receiving the spools or drums 45, so as tonot interfere with the operation of said spools f or drums as the powerhead forces said pluntcase, the stiffened curtains 46 preventing thecotton from bulging out through slots 49 and automatically winding uponthe spools or drums until the latter attain the plane of the upper endsof said slots. The continued upward movement of the plunger then over-"-comes the resistance of the spring-actuated spools or drums and againstarts the unwinding therefrom of said curtains, it being uniderstoodthat before this operation takes O'er and the superposed bale upwardinthe lOO place the handles 38 of the retainer shafts of the casein whichthe compression action is to occur, are operated to withdraw theconnected retainers to inoperative position. The plunger 40 raises thebale and compresses it against the platen 68, to substantially thethickness indicated by the distance between the lower face of saidplaten and the dotted line c. ln the event that the resistance is suchthat the power mechanism is stalled or stopped before the maximum powerof the power mechanism is exerted on the bale7 viz. before toggle-levers63 and 6a' attain an almost vertical position, which will occur when thebaled cotton exceeds a predetermined weight, say live hundred pounds,and when it therefore is not compressed as tightly as it shouldbe`approximately twenty five pounds per cubic foot 5 the operator opensthe valve 78 to permit platen 68 to yield and move upward under thepressure of the bale, it being understood that initially the chambers 72are fully charged with liquid from tank 75 to o er an unyieldingresistance to ward movement of the platen causes the from chamber 72 upthrough ment of the platen being checked by the reclosure of the valve78, just before the toggl-elevers 63 and Get attain the substantiallyvertical position referred to so as to impart their maximum pressurethrough head 54 and plunger 40 on the bale. It will thus be seen thatthrough the use of the cooperating adjustable platen 68, each baleirrespective of the amount of cotton therein, is subjected to tnemaximum pressure of the power mechanism and therefore weighssubstantially wenty-tve Jounds per cubic foot or any other predeterminednumber of pounds per cubic foot within the capacity of the power'mechanism. As soon as the bale is thus compressed, the operation of thepower mechanism is stopped and the person in nipulates tl bolts 26 fromthe eye-bolts 2st, to permit the rigidly connected walls 19 and 20 to eswung open in the direction indicated by the arrow F ig. 2, and thehingedly-connected walls 2l and 22 to be swung open in the oppositedirection and thus expose the sides and ends of the compressed bale toenable the attendant to release the underlying clamp l2 and fold it uparound the sides and ends of the bale, and drape overlying covering downaround the sides and ends of the bale and sew the folded end portions ofthe covering together in the usual manner. The exposure of the bale alsopermits the atten dant to slip the opposite ends of bale ties (notshown) through the grooves 50 of the plunger and platen, the flaredmouths of said grooves facilitating the insertion of said the grooves,as will be readily understood, and to draw the upper ends down andopposite sides of the ne lower ends up at bale until the latter istightly bound by the l ties, the ends of the latter heilig then securedtogether in the usual or any preferred manner. .ln this coimection willbe observed the advantage of the longitudinally and latitudinallyconcaved faces of the plunger and platen, as by such formation the baleis permitted to bulge outwardly between the y grooves in order to avoidcompressingthe l cotton to a density in excess of that which Il itultimately exhibits, as is the case where il the bale-engaging surfacesare ila t, as in such cases power is utilized to compress portions I ofthe bale which must and do reexpand as soon as the bale is removed fromthe compress. By my construction .l apply the maxil mum compression atthe edges ofthe grooves and leave the bale free to expand between them,thus rendering unneeessaijexcess power to compress the parts ol. thebale which ultimately must and do reexpand.

,3y hinging the wall 2l to wall. 22 to mit them to be disposed inattendant is enabled to more easily move the compressed and finishedbale completely out of the machine and olil the turn-table in thedirection indicated by the arrow, which could not be done asconveniently it' the wall was rigidly connected to wall 22, as in thelatter event the wall 2l might be injured should the bale be permittedto fall against/it.

After the bale is removed new coverings of the character mentioned aresecured to the plunger and the platen as explained. and the walls areresecured in their original positions with respect to cach other and theunderlying body of the case. The shaft (5l is then rotated to effect thecontraction of the toggle-mechanism, the plunger lO following thepower-head downward by gravity until it attains its original position asshown in Fig. l, and in this connection will be seen the advantage ofdra ping the covering of the plunger down around its sides and sosecuring it by the clamps 42, as otherwise the flap portions of thecovering would pile upon the plunger and have to be prodded down aroundits sides. The retainers oil the case from which the compressed bale wasremoved are then restored to their original positions and the turn-tablecaused to describe a half-revolution to reverse the positions of thetramper and the platen 68, after which the operations described arerepeated,

By means of the connection between the tongs and the cross-head, themovement of the latter can be utilized for conveniently and quicklyremoving the completed bale from position or in otherwise handling thesame as will readily be understood.

l am aware that baling presses have been provided in which toggle-levermechanism peralmement, the

cases with respect to the Sl (l loo has been employed for actuating aplunger but l am not aware of any machine having both baling andcompressing functions in which a toggle-lever mechanism has beenemployed for compressing the bales, and to accomplish this result in apress employing` two baling cases to be rotated and thus a ternatelydisposed over such mechanism, it is necessary that such cases be offsetwith respect to each other, that is be disposed in parallel planes inorder that the one in which the baling action is taking place shall beout of the path of vertical movement of the toggle-lever mechanism.

From the above description it will be apparent that l have produced abaling press possessing the features of advantage enumerated asdesirable and l wish it to be understood that I do not desire to berestricted to the exact details of construction shown and described asobvious modifications will suggest themselves to one skilled in the art.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a machine of the character described, a toggle-lever actuatedpower-head, a pair of baling-cases, plungers in said cases, meanswhereby said cases shall be simultaneously moved and alternately alinedwith and above said power-head, and a vertically-adjustable platenvertically above the power-head and the plunger of the case alined withthe power-head.

2. ln a machine of the character described, a suitable platform havingan openi g, a turn-table occupying said opening, a vertical shaftextending axially through the turntable, a pair of oblong-rectangularcases extending through the turn-table with their adjacent sides atopposite sides of the shaft and their adjacent ends also at oppositesides of the shaft, oblong-rectangular extensions for and superposedupon the cases, and each consisting of two sections, one sectioncomprising an end-wall and a side-wall bearing a rigid relation to eachother and a hinged relation to the shaft, and the other section aside-wall and an end-wall bearing a hinged relation to each other and tothe shaft, and means to secure the said sections of the extensiontogether.

3. In a machine of the character described, a toggle-lever-actuatedpower-head, a pair of baling cases in a horizontal plane above thenormal horizontal plane of the power-head and provided in the verticalplane of the toggle-lever mechanism with vertical slots opening downwardthrough the lower ends of the cases, reciprocatory plungers occupyingsaid cases, means to normally support said plungers at the lower ends ofthe cases and above the plane of the power-head,

spools or drums carried by the plungers,

flexible curtains attached at their opposite ends to said spools ordrums and to the cases at the upper ends of said slots and normallybridging the latter, and means whereby said cases shall be alternatelyalined with said power-head.

ll. ln a machine of the character described, a toggle-lever-actuatedpower-head, and a tramper adapted to operate in parallel planes and inopposite directions simultaneously, a pair of cases to respectivelyreceive sai power-head and tramper, and rotatable means whereby therelative positions of said parts shall bechanged so that the caseoriginally adapted to receive said tramper shall be disposed to receivepower-head and the other case to receive the tramper.

5. ln a machine of the character described, a toggle lever-actuatedpower-head, an adjustable platen in the line of movement of said powerhead, a pair of cases, and means whereby said cases shall be alternatelydisposed in line with said power-head and platen and adapted to receivethe former.

6. ln a machine of the character described, a toggle-lever-actuatedpower-head, a tramper to reciprocate in a path parallel with but not inthe line of movement of the powerhead, an adjustable platen in the lineof movement of the power-head, a pair of cases to simultaneously receivethe power-head and tramper respectively, and means whereby the positionsof said cases shall be reversed to dispose the one originally in-alinement with the power-head and platen in alinement with and adaptedto receive the tramper, and the other in alinement with the powerlieadand platen and adapted to receive the former.

7. ln a machine of the character described, a suitable platform havingan opening, a turn-table occupying said opening, a vertical shaftextending axially through the turntable, a pair of baling-casesjournaled on said shaft and projecting non-rotatably up through theturn-table at diametrically opposite sides of the shaft, a baling caseextension superposed upon each of said balingcases, each of saidbaling-case extensions consisting of sections independently hinged onsaid shaft, means for locking said sections together at their free edgesand upon and in line with their respective underlying cases,reciprocatory plungers normally occupying the lower ends of the cases, apower-head underlying one of the cases and its plunger, means to causesaid power-head to move upward into said case and force the plungerupwardly therein ahead of it, and afterward return to its originalposition and permit the plunger to do likewise, a tramper overl-yingt-he other case and its extension, and means to cause the tramper tomove downward into the said extension and return to its originalposition above the same.

8. ln a machine of the character described,

llO

5 taining the plunger to the shaft, a power-head vertically below theplaten, a tramper diametrieally opposite the platen, means to cause thepower-head to move upward into' the baling-case convertioally below theplaten and return to its original position, and means to cause thetramper to move downward into the extension of the other tion.

ln testimony whereof I aHiX my signature,

in the presence of two Witnesses:

H. C. RODGERS, G. Y. THoRrE.

witnesses.

OBERT D. CROW.

